Indian Government To Launch Food Security Program Before Parliament’s Approval

Aug 20, 2013

The Indian government plans to launch a food security program that would provide subsidized food to two-thirds of its population, “even though the controversial Food Security Bill which maps out this welfare scheme is yet to be approved by parliament,” BBC News reports. “Critics say the scheme is a political move to win votes and will drain India’s finances … [b]ut India accounts for a third of the world’s poor and supporters say such assistance will help reduce poverty and hunger,” the news agency writes. Sonia Ghandi, head of the governing Congress, will launch the program in the capital, Delhi, and “[f]our other states, ruled by the Congress, will also launch the scheme on Tuesday,” BBC writes, noting that the lower house of Parliament plans to take up the bill on Tuesday (8/20).